Kenneth Paul Gardner

Beloved Hammond High School teacher, coach, Kenneth Paul Gardner, passed away on Sunday, December 1, 2024. He taught at HHS for 40 years and was affectionately known as “Mr. G” or “Coach G”. Kenneth was born in Tuckerman, Arkansas, on March 6, 1944, to the late, Paul Gardner and Florence Rose Gardner. He attended Tuckerman Elementary School before his family moved to Ponchatoula when he was eight. Finished elementary, junior high, and was a proud graduate of Ponchatoula High School. Kenneth was very active in sports, especially basketball and softball at Ponchatoula High, he also played Pony League baseball. Ken continued his education at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. He played on the varsity basketball team for several years. Also, he was President of the Baptist Student Union. He graduated in 1967, but continued his education and received a Master’s degree +30. His teaching career included a short time at Hammond Junior High, but most of his 40 years of teaching was done at HHS. He loved his students, and he loved teaching! Refereeing basketball and football games was an important part of his life. His first experiences were in the old Private School League. Also active in Ponchy Little Conference for many years. His great love was HHS baseball. He was a coach, then a volunteer coach, then he would do anything needed to help the program. His motto was, “Take pride in your work, then go to work and do the best you can”. He wished to be remembered as “a gentle man”.

Survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Jeannine McMillan Gardner; daughter, Laura Gardner Johnson and husband John Johnson; son, John M. Gardner, Sr.; four grandsons, John M. Gardner Jr., Devin Phelps, Liam Dalton, and Sean Gardner; sister, Rosemary Gardner; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Henry McMillan and Pat Barron McMillan; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. 

Preceding him in death were his father, Paul Gardner; mother, Florence Rose Gardner; stepmother, Mildred Gardner; as well as his grandparents, Worley Gardner and Susan Penn Gardner, James Rose Sr. and Sarah Rose; siblings, Betty Sue Gardner, Gerald Gardner, Freddie Gardner, and Jerry Wayne Gardner.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hammond High Baseball Program, P.O.Box 244, Hammond, LA 70401/venmo @HammondTornadoBaseball or charity of your choice. 

Family and friends are invited to attend his Celebration of Life Gathering at Harry McKneely & Son Funeral Home in Hammond on Friday, December 6th, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. A memory sharing will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Harry McKneely & Son Funeral Homes.